Wire-cutting projectile



.I. AND C. WITKOWSKI.

WIRE CUTTING PBOJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13.. m9.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

ORNEY JAMES WITKOWSKI AND CHESTER WITKOVVTS-KI, OF GARY, INDIANA;

WIRE-CUTTING PROJECTILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

Application filed March 13, 1919. Serial No. 282,317.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES VVrrKowsKI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gary, county of Lake, andState of Indiana, and I, CHESTER VVrrKowsKI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gary, county of Lake, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVire-Cutting Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in projectiles, and particularl to types adapted for the destruction 0 wire entanglements, it having as its special object the provision of means, combined with the projectile, whereby an opening of suitable magnitude may be formed through a wire fence or the like, by means of cutters normally carried in the interior of the projectile, but projectable outwardly when the projectile is fired.

A further object is to provide a projectile of the character described, which is comprised of few and simple parts, and which may be used in connection with a gun or cannon of the ordinary type, without any changes whatever.

These and other like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter" described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the center of a projectile made in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 isa rear plan view of the same, the cartridge shell originally attached thereto, having been removed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modified form of projectile the cartridge shell being omitted, and,

Fig. 5 is a rear end view of the same.

The cartridge containing the explosive 10, is formed of a thin metallic shell or casing 11, having an inner partition 12, while in' the head 13, is inserted a detonator 145, the interior of the shell, together with the main portion of the projectile being adapted to be inserted in the muzzle of an ordinary gun or cannon of proper caliber.

The hollow extending element of the shell or casing 11, is adapted to envelop the cylindrical portion 15, of the projectile, this reduced part extending from the main part 16 which terminates in the usual conical point 17, the projectile being filled with explosives 18, as may be desired.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, at the extreme outer end of the hollow casing 15, is secured a spider 20, having four or more forked arms in which, pivoted upon the transverse bolts 21, are lever-like knives 22, having inwardly curved points 23, and cutting edges 24:, the same being receptive within recesses 25, formed through the casing 15, these lei'ers having opposite extending ends 26, 26, provided with open ings 27 and arranged in pairs so that the longer elements 26 extend outwardly to a greater distance than the shorter elements 26, thus permitting coiled tension springs 28 to pass each other, these springs being adapted to draw the shorter ends 26 and 26 toward each other, thereby moving the knives 22 outward.

In order to hold the spider 20 in proper position against the outer wall of the shell 15, a bolt 33 is threaded into the center of the spider, the head 31 of the bolt being fixed upon the outer side of a partition plate 32, provided With inturned flanges 30, held in position within the shell by the screws 34. The partition plate 32 acts to prevent the material in the front portion of the shell from moving rearwardly, and at the same time holds the spider in close contact with the end of the shell.

In operation, the projectile having been fired from the gun obviously the portion shown in dotted line, containing an explosive is retained within the gun, while the projectile proper is expelled by the firing of the explosive material 10, the cutting knives 22 being held within their recesses by the bore of the gun until such time as they pass the muzzle, whereupon the springs 28 operate to throw the knives outwardly into position to engage with wires or like on tanglements.

In the adaptation shown in Figs. 4t and 5, i

a plurality of arcuate metallic brackets 40 are secured within the outer end of the shell 15, by screws or suitable securing means, these brackets having inturned converging ends 41 to which are attached, by pivot screws 42. A plurality of cuttingknives 22, six here being shown, but a greater number can readily be placed in the casing.

Engaged witl the uniformly outer ex tending ends 26 of the knives are links 4 L attached to a yoke 45, to which is engaged the outer end of a coiled extension spring 46, having its opposite end looped and engaged in an eye 47, the same having a threaded stein passing through the center of the partition nut 48.

Thus, the advantage of a single spring of greater length is attained, beside which a greater number of cutting arms may be employed,- the construction being in other re-- spects as heretofore described.

Having thus described our What We claim as new by Letters Patent, is

In a Wire cutting projectile, the combination With a shell having a loaded point, and means for discharging said shell from a gun, of a hollow casing formed in said shell invent-ion, and desire to secure plate 32, Where it is held by a rearward of said loaded point, said casing having a plurality of longitudinal openings 20 therein, a flanged partition plate secured in said shell, an eye attached to said plate, arms pivotally engaged at the outmost polnt of said shell, said arms having internal cutting edges, levers extending rearwardly 25 from said arms, links connected With said levers, a yoke to Which said links are attached, and a coiled spring attached to said eye at one end, and with said links at the other end, said spring being adapted to ex- 30 pel said arms outwardly upon'the discharge of said projectile.

In testimony their signatures.

JAMES WITKOWSKI.

CHESTER WITKOWSKI.

whereof they have aflixed 

